Tag: Gary Cherone

Boston’s very own Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt of multi-platinum recording band EXTREME are performing the National Anthem this Saturday, May 26th at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park for the Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays game.

Most recently, in the celebration of Fenway Park’s centennial, Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt and Daniel Bard joined forces and recorded a version of the song “Let The Good Times Roll” available on the 100 Year Anniversary Red Sox Commemorative album. A portion of proceeds benefits the Red Sox Foundation.

Bettencourt will also be celebrating his special fan Darren Parker, who has self-proclaimed himself as one of Nuno’s biggest fans. The band and fans know him as NunoFreak. Darren has an inoperable brain tumor rendering him unable to work as his medical bills are mounting.

A fundraiser is being held on June 23 at Sleep’s Bar & Grill in Bluffs, IL which will include an auction, donations and freewill. Darren’s dream was to have Nuno show up but unfortunately he will be in London on tour with Rihanna. Bettencourt came up with a solution to help.

Last Friday, Nuno surprised Darren by calling him on the phone and invited him to be his special guest with Gary for the Red Sox game. This generous offer includes Darren to be on the field when they perform the National Anthem. After the Anthem, Nuno will gift him one of his Washburn Nuno Bettencourt N4 guitars so Darren can auction it on eBay to help cover his medical expenses. The Red Sox has kindly agreed to let Darren come in the afternoon to watch sound-check and then stay in the park to watch batting practice. “We are making this real special for him.” states Bettencourt. After the phone call with Nuno, Darren sent management an email saying that he “Literally had to pull the car over on the side of the road for 20 minutes to just process the conversation he just had with Nuno.”

Here is Darren’s website to learn more about his situation and the fundraiser.

Gary Cherone (lead vocals) and Nuno Bettencourt (guitar) are the driving force behind the iconic Boston rock band Extreme. To date, the Grammy-nominated EXTREME have released six albums, plus a greatest hits set—selling over 10 million records worldwide. They also achieved a Billboard #1 hit single, “More Than Words”—from their 1990 multi-platinum album Pornograffitti and a Top Five hit with “Hole Hearted.” Although these two acoustic hits brought the band great mainstream success, the band’s trademark sound is a mix of hard rock funk—fueled by guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt’s signature style and Gary Cherone’s resonant vocals and socially conscious lyrics.

If you believe the rumors, it’s a great time to be a Van Halen fan. With Chickenfoot’s new album, Chickenfoot III in stores on September 27th and the rumored David Lee Roth led Van Halen album completed, this fall could be very Van Halen heavy. Add in the Hurtsmile CD from Gary Cherone, who led the extremely underrated VH III, and there’s a whole lot of Van Halen-esque music available for ear consumption. (PS – if you haven’t heard Hurtsmile, you really should check it out).

There’s even a possibility that both Van Halen and Chickenfoot could be on tour at the same time. That idea got me thinking of what the ultimate Van Halen tour would be. While this is high fantasy at its most extreme, I ask you to indulge with me momentarily as we imagine what could be. How amazing would it be if the following actually happened? How much money would you pay to see this fantasy become a reality?

Van Halen on tour with Chickenfoot and Hurtsmile. Now, I know that it’s never going to happen. I know that there is way too much bad blood for this exceptional idea to grow into a completed tour. However, imagine if it did. This is how I would envision the scenario.

Hurtsmile would obviously open the evening. They could perform hits from their debut album and mix in a couple of Extreme classics. Chickenfoot would come out next (sorry Sammy fans, but this is Van Halen’s show all the way) and rip into their performance. Songs from both of their releases, perhaps a little Satriani solo, and maybe even a couple of solo Sammy songs for good measure. Then it would be time for the headliners of the evening – Van Halen. Performing nothing but classics and songs off their latest album, Van Halen would rule the stage. Then Eddie would provide a mind boggling, blistering solo that would wow the crowd like never before. And that would only be the beginning.

After all of that greatness, Eddie and Satriani would step out on stage together for the first “encore”. It would be dueling guitars as they went back and forth. Joe versus Ed. The crowd, if they hadn’t fainted by this point, would be roaring so loud that the roof might cave in.

Then it would be time for “encore” number two. Van Halen back on the stage with Michael Anthony on Bass and Gary Cherone on lead vocals. They could play a song off VH3 (which hasn’t been performed live in 13 years). Next out, would be Sammy to take over the mic. Cue up “Dreams” or some other such beloved Van Hagar song.

And then, the ending of all endings could occur. Diamond Dave would walk out on stage while Sammy, Michael, and Gary are still there. Enter Joe Satriani and Wolfgang, and lead us into the all-star jam to end all all-star jams! Eddie and Joe on lead guitar. Michael and Wolfgang on bass. Alex on drums. Sammy, Dave, and Gary trading versus on some superior classic rock song (probably a Led Zeppelin tune). How amazing would that be?

Now, I ask you honestly, how much would you pay to see that concert? I know that I would pay top dollar and then some. How about you?

Whether it’s with Extreme, Van Halen, or on his own, one thing about Gary Cherone remains constant – the man can sing! He also seems to always be involved in great musical projects. That’s why when word came out regarding Hurtsmile, Cherone’s latest outing with his brother Markus, expectations were high. Once again Gary Cherone delivered.

One thing is eminent, Hurtsmile is not a hair metal record, but then, Extreme was never really a hair metal band no matter how often they got lumped into the category. Hurtsmile is a class unto itself – a modern rock record that would do well with some radio airplay.

Hurtsmile is an amalgamation of Cherone’s entire career. Elements of Extreme, his days in Van Halen, and his more recent solo projects are all evident in this debut disc. While sometimes biting and fast, and sometimes acoustic and soft, Hurtsmile is certainly one thing – rocking. Led by Markus Cherone’s powerful and striking guitar, Hurtsmile is an enjoyable ride through the valley of hard rock. Markus Cherone’s ability with the guitar rivals that of the other legendary guitarist Gary Cherone has worked with, Nuno Bettencourt. The first solo on lead song Just War Theory shows off Markus’ talent and the realization of his ability just grows from there.

Not to get lost in the advertising of the Cherone brothers are the rhythm section of Joe Pessia on Bass Guitar and Dana Spellman on drums. Their timing is impeccable and Spellman’s ability to keep the beat is something every musician should aspire to. These two are the perfect compliment to the Cherone brothers. The four musicians make some quality music together.

All is not perfect on Hurstsmile however. While most of the album is a solid rockfest, it does come with moments of limitations. A couple of songs (most notably Kaffur and Set Me Free) appear to be more filler than killer and only serve to hurt the album’s overall greatness. However, songs like Jesus Would You Meet Me and Slave more than make up for the shortcomings of those weaker songs. They are just a barely noticeably dip on the road of an otherwise fantastic musical journey.

Hard rocking and filled with gems, Hurtsmile is an album that fans of Gary Cherone are going to enjoy. The guitar work is simply outstanding and Gary Cherone’s voice is still strong and significant. The acoustic jam on Jesus Would You Meet Me alone is worth the price of the record. Hurtsmile delivers more than just one great song though. It comes with several to choose from. If you’ve been craving a hard rock record that will provide multiple listens, then pick up a copy of Hurtsmile. There will be plenty of return on your investment.

The latest from Gary Cherone (Extreme, Van Halen) who has teamed up with his brother Markto write his most succinct record to date. The self-titled, HURTSMILE is a raw sonic suckerpunch in the face! From the opening buzz saw riff of “Just War Theory” to the epic finale of”Slave” and “Beyond The Garden/Kicking Against the Goads”, Gary continues to push andpoke you in the ear with his lyrically provocative themes.“Hurtsmile was a long time coming… I always wanted to write a record with my brother,” saysGary. “I’m a big fan of Mark’s song writing and his snarling guitar riffs.” The timing was right as Extreme was in-between their touring and record cycle, leaving Gary the freedom. Theyrecruited Joe Pessia (bass) an alumnus of Nuno Bettencourt’s Dramagods as well as the guitarplayer for Tantric. Joe also engineered, and co-produced the record with Gary.

To round off thelineup they enlisted heavy hitter Dana Spellman on drums “It’s an east coast-Boston thing,”states Gary. “Mark, my brother, was in a band with Nuno’s brother… Joe was in Nuno’s bandand Dana was a friend, and student of Mike Mangini (former Extreme drummer) … we like tokeep it in the family.”The lineup is not the only thing familiar with the band. In true Cherone fashion, the record ischock full of swaggering guitar, soaring vocals and the trademark Cherone eclecticism ontracks such as “Jesus Would You Meet Me”, the reggae-tinged “Just War Reprise” and theDylanesq “The Murder of Daniel Faulkner (4699)”. “Hurtsmile was about returning to myroots, writing a record in my basement, a straight up rock ‘n’ roll record… but it turned out tobe more diverse and ambitious than I expected.”Gary is no stranger to taking on intense topics, and Hurtsmile is no exception.

The first half of the record is a group of more loosely knit songs such as the cynically inquisitive “Just WarTheory”, the limit’s of free speech “Tolerance Song (edit)” and the disturbingly mesmerizing“Kaffur (Infidel)”, inspired by the beheading of Daniel Pearl.The 2nd half of the record is more conceptually cohesive; an introspective look at the nature ofman and the condition of the human heart. “Stillborn” introduced earlier, and “Set Me Free”both touch on mans inclination toward darkness, culminating with an epic journey from sin tosalvation… “Slave” to “Beyond the Garden/Kicking Against the Goads”.For the most part both themes are represented as 2 sides of a record. A concept familiar toExtreme fans but make no mistake, whether reading between the lines or just moved by thevisceral power of the music, this is a completely different type of record. Gary adds, “All theboys in the band have brought something new to the table, and you’ll never know what hit you!”

Track Listing:

Just War Theory,Stillborn, Love Thy Neighbo, Kaffur (Infidel), Painter Paint, Tolerance Song, Set Me Free, Jesus Would You Meet Me, Slave, Beyond The Garden – Kicking Against The Goads, Just War Reprise, The Murder Of Daniel Faulkner (4699)

Gary Cherone, singer and songwriter. The front man for the world renowned and musically diversified Extreme. Be it Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Funk Metal or a chart topping Pop Ballad, Gary Cherone never fails to capture the emotion and heart of a song. Extreme, with their 2008 reunion, has given a bounty of relief to loyal fans, after a thirteen year hiatus. With three quarters of the original Extreme lineup intact, Gary Cherone, guitarist & songwriter Nuno Bettencourt and bassist Pat Badger have proven that they still have plenty of Hard Rock left in their musical tanks, alongside newest band mate and drummer Kevin Figueiredo.

With 2008’s critically acclaimed Saudades de Rock followed by a triumphant touring schedule, this second chapter of Extreme is just beginning. Extreme’s reunion has even led to the release of Take Us Alive, a live CD/DVD recorded in August of 2009, in their hometown of Boston Mass, at the House Of Blues, with a release date of May 4, 2010.

Hard Rock Hideout had the privilege recently to catch up to Gary Cherone, while his busy schedule allowed. Gary talks about the reuniting of Extreme, “Take Us Alive”, his musical influences, the now classic “More Than Words” ballad, a dream duet and his true feelings of being the lead singer for Van Halen too. As polite and candid as he is down to earth, Gary Cherone has proven to this writer, that he and Extreme certainly are an American Rock ‘N’ Roll success story. Here is what Gary had to say:

HRH: Gary, what is the Extreme Rock ‘N’ Roll story behind “Take Us Alive”?

Gary Cherone: It’s our first live CD/DVD, the story behind it is surprisingly, after a thirteen year break, we have never played or felt stronger. “Take Us Alive” documents the 2009 tour and covers the full spectrum of the Extreme catalog of albums.

HRH: Seeing the fans sing the lyrics to “More Than Words” on “Take Us Alive” gave me those good and cool chills, did it have an effect on you while on stage?

Gary Cherone: Absolutely! This song has been a blessing and a curse over the years for Extreme. The band resented this song for a while because it was the one and sometimes only song people knew from us. We learned to embrace it though, now it’s a special song to us. After thirteen years, coming back to see the fans sing along to it live, every night, makes for one of the highlights of the night.

HRH: Were there any vintage, live Rock albums over the years, that influenced you to one day make a live Extreme album?

Gary Cherone: You are absolutely the first writer to ask this question and I’ve been waiting for this! KISS “I” and “II”, Cheap Trick “at Budokan”, The Who “Live At Leeds”, and The J. Geils Band had three terrific live albums. There are too many of them really, to mention. Just recently, I was sending emails to the guys saying, “hey, we finally have our KISS Alive out! It’s exciting after all these years to to have our live album. We recorded the show in Boston, at the House of Blues, it’s our hometown and it meant a lot to us to have it filmed there.

HRH: Gary, “Last Hour” from “Saudades de Rock” I point to as a career highlight for you vocally. Did you reach for any personal emotion to record this song?

Gary Cherone: Thank you very much. “Last Hour” is one of my favorites on this record. I always start on a personal level then lyrically go in different directions. I try to translate emotion onto tape. Steve Perry, (Journey), he came a few times during the making of “Saudades de Rock”. This was the only song Steve Perry hung out with us on in the control room.

HRH: Wow, Steve Perry! You must have been a bit nervous there?

Gary Cherone: I felt pressure with a legend sitting in there! I think seeing Steve Perry made me reach in for that little extra!

HRH: Have you known Steve Perry for some time?

Gary Cherone: Steve Perry is a friend of the band, has been for some years.

HRH: “Saudades de Rock”, do you look upon this album as a comeback or continuation of Extreme?

Gary Cherone: Both I guess. We treat it as a continuation. The public looks at it as a reunion record after thirteen years. “Saudades de Rock” is not a one-off album, this was the first of hopefully many more Extreme albums to come.

HRH: Gary, who is the singer that you would want to make the dream duet with?

Gary Cherone: I always wanted to do something with Ann Wilson, (Heart), she’s it! I’m always mentioning Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury and Roger Daltrey in conversations, about being the best voices in Rock ‘N’ Roll history, yet Ann Wilson, she is an amazing singer. There’s still time to do a duet with her, I just have to write the right song.

HRH: There’s plenty of time left Gary!

HRH: Are there any younger musicians or bands out there in 2010, that have made an impression on you?

Gary Cherone: Late at night, I’ll watch VH1 to catch new music. Muse comes to mind. The music I listen to is rather mellow compared to the Hard Music world I live in! I like Stone Temple Pilots, they have a new record coming out. I really like their new single “Between The Lines”. Norah Jones, I like to listen to her music.

HRH: Any Rock legends your listening to?

Gary Cherone: Bob Dylan, there is enough in his catalog to listen to and enjoy for the next twenty years! As a singer and songwriter, Bob Dylan is just great, there is no one else like him.

HRH: If a major motion picture was made on the career of Extreme, would the word “united” be in the title?

Gary Cherone: It would certainly be in the title. Extreme is a close bond of brothers, past members included. We grew up together, went around the block long enough to know what friendship is about. “United” would definitely be the theme of the movie.

HRH: Extreme has personified Rock Music diversity through song, time and again. How important is it to not be stereotyped into one specific genre?

Gary Cherone: I think that is probably a distinction we wear with pride. When you look at AC/DC, I would not want them any other way, you know what you are getting. Then, I look at the Beatles, Queen and Led Zeppelin, all three had no barriers, they really wrote honest music with expression. They did not try to ever fit in. When I sit down with Nuno, we really don’t know what is going to come out when we create music. We sit down together and write, Nuno plays the guitar and what comes flowing out of us during those moments is what becomes the record.

HRH: What changes in the music industry, within the last twenty years, annoy you the most?

Gary Cherone: Extreme has been fortunate and blessed from the past. After 13 years of being away, we know there will be touring and small venues, we don’t care how big the place is we play at. The digital revolution, where music can be downloaded for free, it doesn’t bother me so much. If people get turned on by Extreme through You Tube, then the interest to come see us live or buy our music can result and that is a good thing. There are pro’s and con’s to technology, it’s like comparing LP’s to CD’s, nothing changes.

HRH: Nothing beats those days of buying real vinyl.

Gary Cherone: If you show a kid an LP today, they would look at it as if it’s from another planet. There was nothing like going to the record store back when I grew up, getting the album home and putting the needle to the wax! Our parents used to look at us like we were crazy or something! That’s our generation though.

HRH: Today, the kids are raised on MP3’s.

Gary Chreone: I’m sure if we were kids now, that’s how we would get turned on to music. The sad thing is, kids get turned on song by song today. We grew up on concept records like Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”. Would kids have the attention span to listen to a whole piece of music like that now? A pro in technology is Guitar Hero, it’s giving kids an outlet to discover so many great bands and songs.

HRH: If you had a magic wand and could change just one thing that is wrong in the world today, what would you change?

Gary Cherone: (In a disguised voice, sounding like a Miss Universe contestant): All I want is world peace. (laughs)

HRH: (laughs)

Gary Cherone: I don’t want to sound like a Miss Universe contestant and say all I want is world peace! I’d like to see less pain in the heart, which is manifested physically by people abusing other people or emotionally abusing each other. This is such a big question and difficult to answer or resolve. It’s not that hard to start now, on a local level, by being kind to your neighbor. Our song, “Peace” on “Saudades de Rock” has two verses, the first verse lyrically is very local and internal, while the second verse covers the bigger issues of the world.

HRH: Any Tour plans for Extreme in 2010?

Gary Cherone: Nuno is out on tour with Rihanna right now. It’s a long shot, that maybe Extreme schedules tour dates at the end of the year. I’m working on another Rock project this Summer called Hurt Smile.

HRH: Very cool, I wish you guys the very best! I look forward to hearing Hurt Smile in the future.

Gary Cherone: Thanks!

HRH: Gary, what is your most positive experience you look back upon, being the lead singer for Van Halen?

Gary Cherone: For three years I was in the band and it was a fantastic experience I’ll never forget. Being on tour was the best part and all the crazy moments on stage! Just Playing with the mighty Van Halen! Getting to know Van Halen as human beings and recording the record, (“Van Halen III”), with Van Halen was such a great experience. Eddie was such a generous person, they all were generous. It all feels so surreal now, being ten years removed from Van Halen, I’m like, I was really in that band! I was very fortunate to be a part of Van Halen for a moment in time.

Gary Cherone, vocalist for melodic hard rockers Extreme, will be the special guest on the April 30-May 6 edition of Hard Rock Nights. Cherone joins JT to discuss the band’s new DVD, “Take Us Alive,” as well as their last studio effort, “Saudades de Rock,” which was released in 2008. Cherone also talks about his brief time with Van Halen and another project he is working on called hurtsmile.

“TAKE US ALIVE” WILL BE RELEASED APRIL 23rd IN EUROPE & MAY 4TH IN THE USA

EXTREME is releasing their ‘Take Us Alive’ live CD and DVD on Frontiers Records world-wide April 23rd in Europe & May 4th In USA. In 2008, following a 13 year hiatus, the band returned to the stage for their ‘Take Us Alive’ world tour, which encompassed 75 cities and multiple continents in support of their new and groundbreaking record, Saudades de Rock.

This recording captures EXTREME at the peak of their game with a renewed enthusiasm led by Gary Cherone’s spellbinding stage performance and powerful vocals, Nuno Bettencourt’s ferocious guitar, Pat Badger’s flawless bass and Kevin Figueiredo’s pounding drums not to mention the Extreme trademark, spot on, back up vocals.

This brilliant performance was recorded on the last night of their tour at the House of Blues August 8, 2009 in EXTREME’s hometown of Boston, MA . “We wanted to do something really special for our hometown fans that were there for us since the beginning… the club days,” states Nuno. “It was the last night of the tour and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than by bringing it back to where it all started… Boston.”

The concert showcases material from all 5 EXTREME albums and exhibits the bands broad stylistic abilities. Features include a blistering rendition of the Zeppelin-minded “Comfortably Dumb,” the scorching “Play With Me,” the funked-up “Cupid’s Dead” as well as the anthemic “Get The Funk Out.” Songs like their #1 hit “More Than Words” and the top 5 “Hole Hearted,” highlight the crowds enthusiasm and loyal support their fan base has had for this beloved foursome. “As much as we enjoy recording, for me, I’ve always loved playing live for the fans,” Cherone says. “We couldn’t wait to get out there and play for our fans.”

The DVD will contain 4 unreleased bonus videos from their latest record Saudades de Rock. Videos include the songs “King of the Ladies”, “Interface”, “Run” and “Ghost.” The videos were produced by Nuno Bettencourt. “This DVD/CD is a culmination of all the years we played together and the chemistry the four of us put out live,” explains Bettencourt.

Bonus Music Videos (DVD only)
King of the Ladies, Interface, Run, Ghost

About EXTREME:

To date, the Grammy-nominated EXTREME have released five albums, plus a greatest hits set—selling over 10 million records worldwide. They also achieved a #1 hit single, “More Than Words”—from their 1990 multi-platinum album Extreme II: Pornograffitti—on the Billboard Hot 100, which they followed with the Top Five “Hole Hearted.” Although these two acoustic hits brought the band great mainstream success, the band’s trademark sound has always been more a mix of hard rock funk—fueled by guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt’s signature style, Gary Cherone’s resonant vocals and socially conscious lyrics, Pat Badger’s rock solid bass, and the hard hitting Kevin Figueiredo on drums.

According to Wikipedia “Saudades de Rock” roughly translated means “Nostalgic Yearning for Rock”. With that being said it doesn’t change the fact that Extreme’s first album in thirteen years is still unpronounceable to almost anyone not familiar with the Portuguese language. Fortunately the title is the only bad thing I found with this release.
Before I listened to this album I went back and reintroduced myself to Extreme’s music because quite honestly after “Pornograffitti” they lost my attention. The songs were there occasionally but not albums as a whole. There were no such problems with Saudades from start to finish it had me bobbing my head, tapping my feet, and singing along.

Everything gets started with “Star” where the band’s admiration for Queen shines brightly with the vocal harmonies, thumping bass line, and a damn good solo from Nuno Bettencourt. From there it goes to “Comfortably Dumb” with a funk feel Extreme is famous for. Other standout tracks include “Take Us Alive” with what I would call a Texas Stomp feel, “Run” that goes back to the Queen influences again maybe a little to much because the opening lines reminded me of Fame right off the bat. “Last Hour” has a bluesy swagger to it once it gets started. “Flower Man” has a great foot tapping vibe to it even though I can’t understand a single word Gary Cherone is singing. “King of the Ladies” would have fit nicely with any song on “Pornograffitti”. When “Ghost” first started playing I had to check my I-Tunes to make sure someone hadn’t slipped a Coldplay song in there but after a few listens that little mistake was forgiven. Peace (Saudade) gives a nod to the Beatles with some great vocals, harmonies, and piano playing.

Throughout the album Extreme shines together as well as individually. Nuno Bettencourt’s playing is unbelievable; Gary Cherone’s vocals are strong as ever, bassist Pat Badger keeps everyone tight and in line. But in my opinion the “Star” of this album is drummer Kevin Figueiredo not only did he help write three of the tracks he gives one of the best performances I have heard in a long time. In case you didn’t know, one of Figueiredo’s drumming mentors was Mike Mangini. If you pick up the European version you also get an extra track, a demo from 1985 called “Americocaine”

“Saudades de Rock” gives you every thing you would expect from Extreme, plus a few surprises without the trash that plagues a couple of their previous releases.

Saudades de Rock available August 12th on Open E Records
This summer, EXTREME will release Saudades de Rock (pronounced “sow-dodge”),
their first studio album in thirteen years which will coincide with their first
world tour in over twelve years. Saudades de Rock will be released on August 12th
on Open E Records and distributed by Fontana.

The multi-platinum, Boston-bred band’s 2008 ‘TAKE US ALIVE’ world tour gets
underway on July 29th at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and will be anchored
by a hometown gig two days later at the Bank of America Pavilion. In advance of
the tour, Extreme will be a co-headliner on July 11th at the five day Rocklahoma
Festival in Pryor, OK. See all current dates below.

The iconic rock foursome – vocalist Gary Cherone, guitarist Nuno Bettencourt,
bassist Pat Badger and new drummer Kevin Figueiredo – recorded their fifth
studio offering at NRG Studios in Los Angeles with Bettencourt at the helm as
producer and mixer. Saudades de Rock boasts 13 tracks, including the infectious
roar of “Star,” the groove-laden, swagger of “King Of The Ladies”, a raw funk
rock anthem called “Learn To Love”, and the expressive ballad “Ghost.”

“’Saudades’ was always a beautiful word to me,” Bettencourt explains about the
Portuguese album moniker. “It expresses a longing; an underlying sadness for
something or someone that’s been missing in your life, and never quite sure if
it will ever return. In this case, for us, it’s Rock and Roll. Saudades de
Rock.”

Gary Cherone adds, “I like how it expresses that longing we’ve been feeling to
play for our fans and be together again.”

To date, the Grammy-nominated EXTREME has released four albums, plus a greatest
hits set—selling over 10 million records worldwide. On the strength of multiple
world tours, they also achieved a #1 hit single, “More Than Words”—from their
1990 multi-platinum album Extreme II: Pornograffitti—on the Billboard Hot 100,
which they followed with the Top Five “Hole Hearted.” Although these two
acoustic hits brought the band great mainstream success, it overshadowed the
band’s trademark sound: a mix of hard rock funk in the spirit and style of their
predecessors Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Queen and Van Halen—fueled by
BETTENCOURT’s signature guitar flights and CHERONE’s resonant vocals—and matched
with a social consciousness in their lyrics.

OPEN E RECORDS is a new label that is distributed by Fontana. A portion of Open
E Records profits will be donated to Music Drives Us, a foundation created as a
way to support music in New England. The Foundation also gives scholarship money
for individuals who desire to continue their musical education.www.musicdrivesus.com.

Extreme’s debut CD hit the hair metal scene in 1989. I always thought their debut CD was a little hit
and miss. There are some good songs, and there are a few tunes that feel like filler material.

The one thing that propels Extreme past many of their peers is the superb guitar work of Nuno Bettencourt. Without Nuno, I often wonder if this band would have been a blip on the musical radar.

Bettencourt adds a funky groove to Extreme’s music that helps seperate them from so many of the bands that oversatured the music scene in the late 80’s and early 90’s. The band broke out in 1989 with several videos on MTV that launched a fairly solid career for Gary Cherone and company.

This self titled debut isn’t the band’s strongest effort by any means, but it is definitely worth a listen. Check out the songs Wind Me Up, Kid Ego, or the Play With Me, and you will certainly have a rocking good time.

This is one of those discs that you have to get out from time to time, if only to hear Bettencourt shred. His guitar work on Play With Me is worth the price of admission, all by itself.

Extreme has reunited in 2007, and will play the first show of their 2008 tour, at the Rocklahoma music festival in July. For more information on Extreme, check out their myspace page.

EXTREME will make their much-anticipated return to the stage this summer in support of Saudades de Rock (pronounced “sow-dodge”), their first studio album in 13 years. The multi-platinum, Boston-bred band’s 2008 Take Us Alive world tour gets underway on July 29th at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and will be anchored by a hometown gig two days later at the Bank of America Pavilion. In advance of the tour, Extreme will be a co-headliner on July 11th at the five day Rocklahoma Festival in Pryor, OK.

Information on the groundbreaking new album Saudades de Rock– which was produced by Bettencourt at L.A.’s NRG studios and is planned for release to coincide with the tour–is forthcoming. Fans can expect the same unwavering songcraft and diverse musical approach that made Extreme legendary. Simply put, Extreme’s fifth studio offering – which boasts the infectious roar of ‘Star’, the groove-laden swagger of ‘King’, a raw funk rock anthem called ‘Learn To Love’, and the expressive ballad ‘Ghost’ – just may be its finest hour yet.

As excited as the members of Extreme are by their latest musical accomplishment, they can’t wait to take it to the stage.

“As much as we enjoy recording, for me, I’ve always loved playing live for the fans,” Cherone says. “We can’t wait to get out there and play this music.”

“We wanted to record as much of the new album as possible live in the studio,” Bettencourt adds. “And because of it, these songs will translate easily to the stage. We’re really looking forward to getting out on tour, putting on a show. That’s really where the band shines.”

“We always knew Extreme was special,” the guitarist says of the completion of Extreme’s long-awaited fifth album. “We always knew it was a matter of time.”

The Grammy-nominated Extreme have released four studio albums to date, plus a greatest hits set. Selling over 10 million records worldwide on the strength of multiple world tours, the group achieved a 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1991 with ‘More Than Words‘. Culled from their 1990 multi-platinum album, Extreme II: Pornograffitti, the disc also produced the Top 5 hit ‘Hole Hearted’.

Although these two acoustic hits brought the band great mainstream success, they overshadowed the band’s trademark sound: a mix of hard rock funk in the spirit and style of their predecessors in LED ZEPPELIN, AEROSMITH, QUEEN and VAN HALEN. Fueled by Bettencourt’s signature guitar flights and Cherone’s resonant vocals, the band’s socially conscious lyrics set them apart from their peers. In 1992, the band was asked by Queen’s Brian May to perform at the Freddie Mercury Tribute concert. As the world watched, the band earned considerable credibility within and beyond the hard rock fraternity.